The Debt Collection Act of 1982 was made into law because there are times when a debt collector agency will resort to unethical means to try to make you pay.

They have been known to threaten repossessions, threaten with lawsuits, and more. According to the Fair Debt Collectors Act, they are not allowed to threaten you falsely or humiliate or verbally abuse you.

If you have ever dealt with this problem when working with a collection agency, it's important that you know that this should not happen. According to the law, you do have certain rights that protect you from unethical collectors today.

Debt Collection Act of 1982 Use It To Your Advantage!

Why Do Collectors Violate the Laws?

Wondering why collectors seem to have no problem violating debt collector law? The big reasons is that many consumers today are ignorant of the laws that govern the collection agency that they are working with.

This means that if you aren't familiar with the Collection Act of 1982 and other laws, you don't know the rights that you have and how to protect yourself. Collectors can easily manipulate ignorant consumers.

This is why it is so important to arm yourself with information so you can fight back if your rights are being violated.

Another reason that a collection agency often tries to violate the law is because it can be tough to prove that abusive behavior is taking place.

While a collector may have obviously gone beyond the limitations of the Fair Debt Collectors Act and the Debt Collection Act of 1982, it's tough to provide the evidence.

To make sure you can prove any abuse that happens to you, it's important to keep copies of documents exchanged and records of phone calls and what was said. This way you can do something about the abuse that takes place.

What Rights are Provided by the Debt Collection Act of 1982

Of course, you may be wondering what specific rights are provided by the Fair Debt Collection Act. This act dealt with several aspects of collection. First of all, it does allow agency heads to collect debts that are outstanding "by administrative offset." However, according to this act, usually the collection of claims that are more than 10 years old is not authorized.

This means that in most cases, collectors can't try to collect on debts more than 10 years old. Other aspects of debt collecting found in this act include guidelines regarding consumer reports and the information that can be included in them.

Steps to Take if A Collection Agency Breaks the Law

If you feel that the Fair Debt Collectors Act has been violated by a collection agency, there are a few steps that you can take.

First, you should notify the collector of their violation. A formal letter that cites the law they violated should be sent.

Include all the details, including the time and date and any circumstances. You can also send a cease and desist letter to ensure they no longer communicate with you.

A formal complaint can also be filed with the Federal Trade Commission. You may also want to contact the State Attorney General to report the behavior that occurred.

In some cases, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the agency if you have enough evidence.

Don't allow debt collectors to get away with breaking debt collection laws. Harassment needs to stop and you need to do what you can to stop debt collectors, today.